Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman announced Tuesday a $19 million grant to support schools and students impacted by COVID-19.
FULL COVERAGE: Safely Back to School in Arizona
According to a press release, the money will come from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund as part of the CARES Act and will help schools with teacher development, teacher stipends, reading and math curriculum, summer education resources and more.
Eligibility for the program will depend on such factors as AZMerit scores, percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-priced meals, access to computers and Internet, COVID-19 cases in the community, unemployment claims and more.
Officials say more than 180 schools are eligible for the program, with additional dollars prioritized for schools most impacted.
The Arizona Department of Education will administer the grant and develop reporting and progress measures for grant recipients. Through the program, eligible schools will be able to choose programs that best fit their needs from a list of strategies proven to accelerate academic achievement. Examples include:
- Training teachers in best practices for math and literacy instruction;
- Teacher stipends for additional student tutoring sessions;
- Contracting with qualified math or reading specialists to do one-on-one or small group work with students;
- Operating summer math or reading intensive programs for students in need;
- And more.
